1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to aquarium water and a method of its manufacture.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Aquarium water refers to the water kept in an aquarium in order to breed fishes, such as aquarium fishes, etc. The water should be replaced regularly since it degenerates after a fixed amount of storage time. When a new aquarium is installed, there occurs the New Tank Syndrome (N.T.S) in which aquarium fishes die a few days later. The main reason for degeneration of the aquarium water is that discharged and secreted materials of all living bodies, dead aquarium fishes, remaining fodder, moss, air-pollution materials, etc. are accumulated directly as they are or after they are decomposed.
Most substances that flow into the aquarium water are decomposed by the bacteria that live in the water tank naturally. Among them, proteins are decomposed into ammonia (NH4+) by heterotrophic bacteria, where even a small amount of ammonium nitrogen compounds existing in the water tank acts as a fatal poison to aquarium fishes and corals and induces the New Tank Syndrome. Ammonia is decomposed by the nitrification bacteria, of which representative bacteria include nitrosomonas bacteria, decomposing ammonia into nitrous acid (NO2xe2x88x92), and nitrobacter bacteria, decomposing nitrous acid into non-toxic nitrate (NO3xe2x88x92). Therefore, in order to breed aquarium fishes, ammonia should be removed by replacing the aquarium water, or an environment, in which the nitrification bacteria may be multiplied greatly, should be formed.
In the meantime, the moss and algae are multiplied as the phosphorus component is accumulated in the water tank. A proper amount of moss and algae in the water tank may be advantageous since they can be food for aquarium fishes, but an excessive amount of moss and algae multiplied in the water tank may cause aquarium fishes to die since there is not enough oxygen dissolved in the water tank.
Another reason for installing an aquarium in a room is for interior decoration. But the fish-like smell coming from aquarium fishes, mixed with bad odors such as methane (CH4), ammonium (NH3), etc. coming from decomposed components, may make the air in the room undersirably turbid.
After all, it is necessary to replace the aquarium water regularly in order to remove harmful accumulated components, to prevent eutrophication, and to remove smells. However, in many cases, replacement of the aquarium water has been very complicated and burdensome economically, and the water quality has been inferior due to incomplete removal of contamination, even though the aquarium water has been replaced. This eventually has led to development of many methods for prevention of contamination of the aquarium water and for extension of the cycle of replacement.
Accordingly, physical means of improving the situation have been developed including filtering of contamination materials by using filtering agents such as sand, sponge, cotton, activated charcoal, coral thread, etc.; sterilization by inputting ozone; generation of air bubbles in order to increase the amount of oxygen dissolved; etc. However, all of these methods have been for partial effects only, and the aquarium water should be replaced as before.
A method of increasing the amount of oxygen dissolved and seeking to prevent diseases by using drugs such as water-quality improving agents, etc. has been proposed. But this method has been limited in that a separate aquarium for treatment should be used, since most drugs have shown negative effects on living bodies in the aquarium such as bacteria decomposing organic substances, etc. Therefore, the inventions for the biological refinement method that can improve generally the quality of the aquarium water, remove harmful components without negative affects while not disturbing the ecological system in the aquarium, and thus extend significantly the cycle of replacement of the aquarium water eventually are still sought .
Therefore, the objects of the present invention are to accelerate multiplication and activation of the nitrification bacteria; to increase the amount of oxygen dissolved by preventing eutrophication; to enable easy breeding of aquarium fishes without a need for replacement of the aquarium water by preventing the fish-like smell and removing interior-air-pollution materials; and to form a pleasant in-aquarium and peripheral environment.
In order to achieve the above-described objects, the functional aquarium water of the present invention is prepared by mixing the components having the effects of acceleration of multiplication and activation of the nitrification bacteria; suppression of the fish-like smell; prevention of acidification of pH; prevention of lack of the amount of oxygen dissolved; decomposition ability of harmful components; generation of anions; antimicrobial action; enforcement of the immunization function; maintenance of clearness; and stabilization of hardness at a proper ratio, and refined through the fermentation and maturing processes under the optimum conditions, and the method of its manufacture.